Ice-cream-can sterilizer.



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Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

- www@ COLUMBIA PLANoaRAPH CLLJMSHINGTON. D. c.

T. L. VALERIUS.

10E CREAM GAN STERILIZER.

APPLICATION IILED APR.14, 1911.

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T. L. VALERIUS.

1GB CREAM GAN STBRILIZBR.

APPLICATION FILED APR.14, 1911.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

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THEODORE Il. VALERIUS, OF FORT ATKINSON, IVISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO CREAMERY PACKAGE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ICE-CREAIvI-CAN STEBILIZER.

Speciiicatcn of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

To @ZZ who/m, t may concern Be it known that I, Ti-rnononn L. VarinnrUs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Atkinson, in the county of J efferson and l@tate of IVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice-Gream-Can Sterilizers, of which the following is a specication.

One of the objects of this invention is to produce an improved apparatus for sterilizing ice-cream cans or th-e like, the apparatus being adapted to be operated by power continuously.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for discharging the cans fro-m the apparatus.

Other objects of the invention and objects relating to details of construction will be fully set forth in the following description and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sterilizing apparatus embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus; Fig. Sis a fragmental plan view, part-ly in section, showing a portion of the can-carrying wheel and a portion of the draining table. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-11 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a fragmental vertical sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 3.

The present embodiment of my invention comprises a tank 1 of any suitable form, being herein shown as consisting of two side castings 2 and an intermediate wall 3 composing the front, bottom and rear walls of the tank. Preferably the tank is made of semi-cylindrical form as shown in Fig. 1. The side castings 2 may have supporting legs 4. thereon.

l/Tater contained in the tank 1 may be heated by any common or preferred means, as for example, by steam. I have deemed it unnecessary to illustrate the heating means.

Rotatably mounted within a wheel-like structure of a diameter substantially equal to the interior diameter of the tank 1. The form of wheel herein shown, by way of example, comprises a shaft 5, mounted in bearings in the side castings 2, and two side members 6 fixed to the shaft 5 and lying adjacent `the sides 2 of the tank. Each of the side members 6 may comprise -f a central portion 6?, radial arms 6b extendafter described.

the tank 1 is the vapors to escape.

'20 fixed upon one end ing outwardly from said central portion, and an annular plate-like portion 6 carried at the extremities of the arm 6b. To the inner face of each of the side members 6 is secured a ring T having a laterally extending fiange 8 thereon. Extending between the rings T and iitting upon the flanges S is a drum 9 which constitutes the bottom of all of the can-receiving compartments herein- In the present construction eight of these compartments are provided.

Between the side members 6 are pivotally mounted a plurality of shelves or partitions 10 adapted to support the cans a at certain times. These shelves, in the present instance, are iixed upon rock-shafts 11 which are mounted in suitable bearings in the side members 6 of the wheel. Preferably, the shelves 10 are of perfo-rated or grate-like construction, as shown, in order to permit the water to pass freely therethrough. The side members 6 may also have a plurality of slots 12 in each compartment for this purpose.

In order that the cans shall be automatically discharged when they reach the outlet of the apparatus I provide means for tipping the shelves 10 upon their pivots so as to cause the cans to roll out of the wheel. Said means, in the present instance, comprises a bell-crank lever 13 fixed upon one end of each of the shafts 11, one end o-f said lever having a roller cam port-ion 15 mounted within the tank 1 adjacent. the upper edge of-its outlet side. Coiled springs 16 lengaging the opposite ends of the levers 13 tend to hold the shelves 10 in their normal positions, in which positions said shelves rest upon lugs 17 formed integral with the side members 6 of the wheel.

If desired, the upper portion of the wheel may be inclosed by a housing or hood 18, said hood having an outlet flue 19 to permit The front and rear sides of t-he housing may be left open.

The wheel-like structure is driven, in the present instance, by means of a worm wheel of the shaft 5, said worm wheel meshing with a worm 21 carried by a shaft 22, the latter being rotatably mounted in bearingbrackets 23 fixed to the outer face of one of the sidevcastings-Q; A

sprocket wheel 24 fixed upon the shaft 22 provides means for rotating` said shaft. In installing the apparatus it is commonly placed in close proximity to a can-washing machine, the apparatus sometimes being positioned parallel to the washing` machine and sometimes at right angles thereto, depending upon conditions in the plant. n order that the sterilizing apparatus may be installed in either position I provide a stub shaft 25 mounted in one of the bearing brackets 23 and extending at right angles to the shaft 2:2, said stub shaft having a spiral gear QG thereon meshing with a similar geail upon `the shatt- 22. ik drive sprocket similar to the sprocket 2l provides means tor rotating the stub shaft li'hen the cans are discharged from the wheel they fall upon a draining table Q8 which preferably slopes downwardly away from the tank; said table also slants lateilally as shown in Fig. d. In charging the apparatus, the cans are placed with their open ends next to the side of the wheel which is adjacent to the lower side of the draining table, the cans being' thus discharged upon the table with their open ends adjacent to said lower side, so that they will be quickly and thoroughly drained. It' delsired, a plurality of ribs 29 may be provided upon the bottom wall of the table 28, the upper edges of said ribs sloping somewhat sharply longitudinally of the table and away from the tank. As a can leaves the wheel it falls iirst upon the ribs 29 which receive the can in a horizontal position and cause it to quickly start rolling away from the wheel so as to be out ot the way of the next can to be discharged. lWhen the can leaves the ribs Q9 it will slant downwardly on the draining table toward its open end so that all water will quickly drain from the interior of the can. The water in the tank is maintained at a high temperature to sterilize the cans, and as the latter are carried through the water they are heated to a high degree and are hot when discharged from the wheel. The cans are immediately and thoroughly drained upon reaching the table 28 and the contained heat in the cans serves to dry them rapidly. it will thus be seen that the machine herein shown eifectively combines the operations of sterilizing, draining and drying the cans after they have been washed` In operation, the cans to be sterilized are placed by the operator in the compartments in the forward side of the wheel, the cans moving down with the wheel through the hot water and being thus thoroughly sterilized. TWhen the cans reach the rear side of the tank, the roller 14k upon the rocker arm 13 rides up on the cam projection 1,5 and tilts the shelle l0 at a sufficient angle to cause the can to roll on. from said shelf and on to the draining table 28. In the present instance the cans roll along the bottom wall of the tank 1 in their passage thro-ugh the Water.

Although l' have herein described the invention quite n'iinutely for the sake of clearness, I am aware that modications within the scope of my invention will occur to persons skilled in the art and I therefore do not limit my invention to the precise form herein shown and described.

Ubviously the apparatus might be used for soaking containers prior to the washing operation.

I claim as my invention:

l. in an apparatus for sterilizing ice` cream cans, the combination of a tank; a wheel-like structure rotatably mounted therein and including' a pair of sides; a series oir shelves extending from one of said sides to the other, said shelves dividing the wheel into compartments each adapted to receive an ice-cream can in a horizontal position, and each of said shelves being tiltably mounted; a series of levers each iixed with relation to one of said shelves; and a cam carried by the tank adjacent to the discharge side thereof, said cam being arranged to successively engage and swing said levers to tiltsaid shelves and cause the ice-cream cans to roll by gravity sidewise out of their compartments.

Q. ln an apparatus for sterilizing packing cans or the like, the combination of a tank; a` wheel-like structure rotatably mounted therein and including two sides; a series of shelves each extending from one of said sides to the other, and being mounted in said sides for tilting movement, said shelves dividing said wheel into compartments7 each of which is adapted to receive a single icecream can in a horizontal position; a member connected with each of said shelves; a cam carried by said tank and arranged to successively engage and swing said members to tilt the shelves and cause the cans to roll sidewise out of the wheel; and a series of springs acting to return said members and said shelves to their normal position after an actuation thereof by said cam.

3. In an apparatus for sterilizing icecream cans or the like, the combination of a tank; a wheel .rotatably mounted therein and having two sides and a central drum means; an annular series of rock shafts having their ends mounted in said sides; a series of shelves extending from one of said sides to the other, and each fixed upon one of said rock shafts; a series of arms xed to the ends of the respective rock shafts adjacent to one of said wheel sides; a single cam mounted on the tank at its outlet side, and arranged to successively engage said arms tor tilting said shelves to discharge the cans therefrom; a. second series of arms -xed on the rock shafts; and coiled springs, each fixed at one end to one of said second arms and anchored at its other end to the Wheel side, said springs acting to return said shelves to their normal positions after actuation thereof by said cam.

et. In an apparatus for sterilizing icecream packing cans or the like, the combination of a tank; a Wheel-like structure rotatably mounted in said tank and including a pair of sides; a pair of annular rims fixed to the inner faces of said sides; a drum having its ends mounted on said rims concentric with said structure; a series of shelves extending from one of said sides to the other, each of said shelves being radially disposed with respect to the wheel and being radially journaled in said sides for tilting movement, said shelves and said drum forming a plurality of compartments, each of Which is arranged to receive a single can in a horizontal position; a series of arms, each fixed to one of the journals for said shelves; a cam mounted on the tank adjacent to its discharge side, said cam being arranged to successively engage and swing said arms for tilting said shelves to cause the cans thereon to roll sidewise out of the Wheel; and a series of springs acting to return said shelves to their normal position after an actuation thereof by said cam.

In an apparatus for sterilizing icecream packing cans or the like, the combination of a tank, a Wheel-like structure rotatably mounted therein and including a pair of sides and a series of shelves each extending from one of said sides to the other and being mounted on said sides for tilting movement, said shelves dividing the'wheel structure into a plurality of compartments, each of which is adapted to receive a single ice-cream can in a horizontal position, and means acting to successively tilt the shelves as they reach the discharge side of the tank, whereby t-he can rest-ing on the tilted shelf will roll by gravity sidewise out of the wheel structure.

In testimony whereof I hereby aiiix my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

THEODORE L. VALERIUS.

Witnesses:

J. F. SCHREINER, R. J. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

